RAHIM YAR KHAN: Polio teams have started registration of migrant children in Cholistan desert ahead of the National Immunisation Drive (NID) starting from Nov 30.

The exercise is mandatory for forecasting the scale of migration to identify the number of children and [timely] arrange the vaccine.

Talking to Dawn, a team member said polio workers were engaged in keeping track of the population. “Before the start of every campaign, the health department constitutes a team comprising a doctor, social mobilisers and a vaccinator who move in the desert and start meeting with parents. They listen to their queries and register all the newborn children,” he said.

Most of the families arrive here ahead of winter. Owing to extensive travelling to different parts of the country, their children are susceptible to polio virus. Keeping in view the presence of such populations along with other factors including high percentage of missed children in polio campaigns, hard to reach areas, security and risk, sub-optimal routine immunisation, the World health Organization has included Rahim Yar Khan [in] epidemiological block, said Dr Shaista Mehmood, a woman medical officer in the district, who is also involved in registration of children.

“This block is categorised as highly susceptible to polio due to the above-mentioned challenges,” she added.

The team member said initially polio teams missed children due to improper registration, and also caregivers’ reservations about polio vaccine. “Slowly the communities turned very cooperative. I have been able to dispel various myths about family planning associated with the oral polio vaccine. If communities continue to cooperate we will not let virus win in this area,” he observed.

So far in 2020, Punjab has reported 13 polio cases including one from Rahim Yar Khan while the country-wide tally is 80.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2020